


Meet Me At The Bamboo Forest

by asongofhopeandjoy



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fire Lord Zuko (Avatar), Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, Post-War, Water Tribe Chief Katara (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asongofhopeandjoy/pseuds/asongofhopeandjoy
Summary: Zuko takes Katara to a secret bamboo forest to call her out. The confrontation goes unexpectedly well.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 62





	Meet Me At The Bamboo Forest

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a sequel to my Mailee fic "Like Old Times" but you don't need to read that fic to understand what's going on here. Enjoy!

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

In other circumstances Katara would have snatched her hand away and grumbled “I’m not going out in this rain! Just because I’m a waterbender doesn’t mean I enjoy getting soaked!”, but this was the happiest she had seen Zuko in _weeks_.

Katara came all the way to the Fire Nation to help out before Zuko and Mai’s big day, but both the would-be bride and groom behaved and acted as if they were preparing for a funeral. Half the time Katara didn’t even get to see Zuko because getting caught between his and Mai’s fights was like getting caught in a thunderstorm, it was just best to wait it out until they had both calmed down.

And… Katara had a sneaking suspicion her presence would turn a storm into a natural disaster.

“Are you at least going to give me a clue about what we’re doing all the way out here?”

The looks Mai gave Katara reminded her of how Aang would get whenever Zuko got just a little too close to Katara while him and the waterbender were dating. Aang would do his best to hide how he was actually feeling for the sake of their friendship, but she could always tell jealousy was sizzling beneath the surface…

Katara and Aang were no longer together and his possessive streak seemed to have vanished when he entered a new long-term relationship, probably because the young Avatar had grown and matured like the rest of the group.

Katara’s stomach fell when she realised the chances of Mai dumping Zuko and finding happiness with someone else were close to zero, pre-marriage troubles or no pre-marriage troubles. Only the squeeze of Zuko’s warm hand could soothe the ache inside her heart.

“I want to talk to you, away from the prying eyes of my court.” Katara blinked at Zuko, who was hiding his face under his hood. Was he blushing?! “I’m hoping what I have to tell you will make putting up with the wet and the cold worth it.”

‘Oh my gosh, this nerd…’ Katara snorted. Even after all these years, her friend could be so dramatic! “Then lead the way your Highness!”

“I hope you know I could have you banished from the Fire Nation for your sass Chief Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.” Zuko smirked. “Not everyone gets to talk to the Fire Lord like that.”

“That’s fine.” Katara said. “I’m Co-Chief, remember? My brother can come in my stead and share _all_ his dad jokes with you!”

Katara cackled when she felt Zuko shiver. “Please do not mention that man’s dad jokes in my presence!”

“Why not?”

“Don’t be coy Katara, it doesn’t suit you.”

Katara stuck her tongue out at him and felt butterflies flutter around in her stomach when she got Zuko to laugh out loud.

She missed this.

She missed him.

She tried not to think about what it will be like when she will no longer get to have her own private little adventures with Zuko once he finally did get married, because she wanted to savour every last second of this precious escapade. 

“We’re here.” Zuko announced their arrival all too quickly for Katara, who wanted to take in all the sights and sounds of this secret location the Fire Lord had led her to. The pretty song of the rain hitting the ground, the smell of fresh mountain air, the ethereal clouds of green the bamboo trees standing over them created… It was perfect.

“Okay mister Fire Lord…” Katara grinned, staring into Zuko’s piercing gold eyes which just _glowed_ out here in stark contrast to all the green. Katara swallowed her own saliva and pulled on her collar, praying her friend wouldn’t notice how flushed she was. “Will you tell me why you dragged me to this bamboo forest now?” 

Katara thought Zuko’s sudden intensity had all been in her head, a silly school girl fantasy of how different this meeting might have been if they were lovers, but Zuko remained stoic and still until he took a deep breath, and grabbed her hand. Zuko liked to hold hands sometimes when he needed a bit of extra moral support from his friends, so when he took her gloved hand and pressed it to his lips, the world around them evaporated.

“I would do anything you asked of me.” Zuko breathed, looking deep into her eyes as he made that oath. _“Anything.”_

“…” Katara _snorted_. “Tone it down Zuko, if one of the bamboo cutters see us, your fiancé may get the wrong idea.”

She removed her hand and started looking in the other direction.

“If I get to pick lunch today, I want to go to that tavern we passed by… Their soup smelled so _good_.” Katara’s mouth watered just thinking about the smell of kimodo rhino soup until Zuko grabbed her face and looked deep into her eyes again.

“My fiancé…” Zuko said slowly, to make sure Katara understood what was happening. “Is in love with Ty Lee.”

“…” Katara would have swooned at the way Zuko was smiling at her confused face if her brain wasn’t trying to process what was happening. “But… She’s YOUR fiancé… So how… I… WHAT?!!!”

Katara had always thought you could cut the tension with a knife between Mai and Ty Lee but her mind was still not catching up.

“Mai broke up with me last week.” Zuko explained. “We’re still keeping up the charade of a… ‘happy’ engaged couple, at least until we figure out what we’re going to do next. I’ve been thinking about my future a lot these past couple of days and you were on my mind quite a lot during all that alone time.”

Zuko gently took Katara’s hand and squeezed it.

“Please don’t think I meant that in a weird way.” Zuko cringed as he added the last part.

“So you… And Mai… Are not together anymore…” Katara stated back at Zuko.

“Yes.” Zuko said.

“And you… brought me out here… To confess to me…”

“Yes.” Zuko blushed, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry it’s not a very good one…”

“But why?!” Katara cried, taking her hand away from him. “Why now?! Why not before you were going to get married to the moody lady?!”

Yeah she knew she was being petty and a little bit jealous but gosh damn it! Katara didn’t want to be anyone’s sloppy seconds!

“Because I never thought I had a chance with you.” Zuko gave an honest answer. “What with our history, the fact you had been with Aang for so long, with how mixed race marriages are still frowned upon… I didn’t even allow myself to think I should confess until Mai told me something.”

“What?” Katara asked.

“That she wasn’t the only one who was jealous.” Zuko said.

“I don’t understand?” Oh boy… Katara’s heart was beating fast…

“Katara…” Zuko said in a sing-song voice. “You like me~” 

“Oh yeah?” Katara huffed, crossing her arms to hide the fact she was shivering from something that had nothing to do with how cold and wet the weather was. “How do you know?”

Zuko leaned in and whispered into Katara’s ear: “You’ve been marking your territory the whole time you’ve been here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Katara shouted, but she didn’t pull away.

“Oh really?” Zuko raised the one eyebrow he had. “You don’t think anyone noticed how you enjoyed the fact my mother and Uncle like you best? That you didn’t say anything when Lady Shun made fun of the fact I left Mai in The Boiling Rock Prison but risked my life to save you from Azula? That you hug me even when Mai is standing right there and glaring daggers at you?”

… Bleeding hog monkeys, Katara had stopped breathing!

“You sure you don’t like me Katara?”

Okay Katara, Katara’s brain said, you have two options…

Number one, admit to this arrogant man that you like him and never hear the end of it…

Or two, shut him up with a kiss and enjoy one of the most possibly romantic moments of her life?

“Katara…”

Yeah.

Katara was going with option two.

“Darn, guess you caught me.” She pushed the shocked Fire Lord against one of the bamboo trees, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed his cold lips against her own to warm them both up. They didn’t care about the cold or rain, they were just there, enjoying their newfound closeness and intimacy. There would be time to talk about their feelings in depth later, thank the heavens…

“Ow!” Until a small bamboo cutter smacked Katara on the shoulder.

“I hope you two are gonna pay for the damage you’re doing to my bamboo grove!” the little old lady cried. “Your boyfriend is setting my stock on fire!”


End file.
